Arsenal News Gooner News

Zinchenko waiting for green light to join Arsenal squad in Orlando

Zinchenko waiting for Arsenal move

Oleksandr Zinchenko’s £30 million move to Arsenal is all but done with the player reportedly waiting for the “green light.”

Man City, like Arsenal, have also travelled to the United States of America for the pre-season tour. While Arsenal are in Baltimore currently, City have set up a camp in Houston.

They will play Club America and Bayern, before clashing horns with FA Cup winners Liverpool in this year’s Community Shield.

One player that might not be joining them is Zinchenko, after Arsenal and City agreed a fee for the player. With the Ukrainian in the USA with Guardiola’s squad, he might not end up in the Man City flight back to England.

The report said that Zinchenko is waiting for the green light to leave their training camp and travel across America to link up with his new team-mates at Arsenal.

The Gunners play their last match in the States on 23 of July, which gives Arsenal a lot of time to get the deal over the line before they fly back to home base.

A debut against Sevilla on 30th of July in the final of Emirates Cup might well be in the cards. It now just looks the matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ the 25-year-old will put on the colours of the North London outfit.

After pulling out of a deal for Lisandro Martinez, who completed a move to Man Utd for a fee which can reach a whopping €67 million, the Gunners hierarchy and manager Mikel Arteta quickly turned their focus to Zinchenko.

His versatility was the thing that attracted Arsenal the most. The Ukrainian is capable of playing as a left-back and in midfield with equal effect.

Thus, the London side are getting one player for two positions.

After the completion of his signing, Arsenal can  focus on the attacking wing position, after missing out on Raphinha, who joined Barcelona last week.

There’s still not a name that has done the rounds on a constant basis. Therefore, it will be intriguing to see who technical director Edu opts for.

Yash Bisht

Posted by

Tags Oleksandr Zinchenko

43 Comments

  1. I think what we now need is a towering DM, someone like Onana. We really need some muscle in the midfield. Otherwise, other teams will bully our midfielders to no end like we saw last season.

    And probably a good attacking midfielder with an eye for goal and who can also play on the wide like Paqueta. I think that would seal the summer window up nicely.

    And really excited to see Zinchenko coming. He is press immune player who would thrive alongside Partey.

  3. I see our most pressing need STILL, after way more than a decade already, as a PROPER TOP CLASS DM , someone who will replace depressingkly almost ever present Xhaka. The only positive comments. I CAN MAKE ABOUT XHAKA IS HE IS TALL POWERFUL AND HARDLY EVER INJURED.

    No mention of his ability, pace or mobility you may notice and I doubt that many will wonder why those key qualities were not mentioned!!
    I have been, if not the single most determined and regular anti Xhaka Gooner on JA, then certainly well among the most regular posters deploring his almost total uselessness to a team expecting to make massive progress.

    I can only conclude that to all three unwise managers who have constantly played him, he must know where the “bodies have been buried” so to speak.

    For now though, our most PRESSING NEED REMAINS; that PROPER replacement for the magnificent Gilberto, of whom NO DM player we have had since is fit to lick his boots.
    Not Song, not Coquelin and certainly NOT THE WOEFUL XHAKA, who we need out . TODAY PREFERABLY!

    3. jon
      I completely agree. Xhaka will always hold us back. A sending off or two……and games are lost. He slows the game down and he has done his time with us. I cannot imagine us challenging at the top of the EPL with him in the team. I hope Edu/Arteta find his replacement.

      1. This criticism sounds unfair… Xaka is our most consistent and ever present outlet. He looks clumsy yes but is very effective. Be careful of what you wish for… Zinshenko is definitely a classy player but he won’t have the same effect with Xaka…the guy just need some love

      1. Gunsmoke I presume you mean the team of TEN players , left to play after his regular sendings off!

          1. That’s the trouble Pat – repeat an exaggeration or lie enough times and it becomes a fact…. unless one takes the time to actually prove it’s just BS, as you have done. Congratulations!!!!!

            What makes me smile though, is that three PL managers and a international coach have ALL seen fit to play Xhaka regularly, whilst making him captain and giving him new contracts!!!

            Perhaps if fans actually came and watched the player train, his communication skills and doing what the manager wants him to do within the game plan during a match they might understand?

            But if one prefer to go and watch other PL clubs play, then one’s opinions matter little, as has often been proved in the past.

            I wonder where the line is when it comes to backing the manager and supporting his decisions versus repeatedly being negative and not backing his decisions with regards to the players he has signed? SIGH!!

            1. The question is if we want to reach the next level, is Xhaka the player who can do that, simply put would he get into City, Liverpool, or Chelsea lineup, and dare I say Spurs, if the answer is no then he should only be a utility player and not the starting line up

              1. It seems that Mikel believes he is the man to take us to the next level, by giving him the contract extension and asking him not to leave the club.
                So do we go with that decision and support the player or take every opportunity to knock said player from behind a keyboard?

                1. We’ve been in continual decline since he joined – I know he’s not the sole cause of all of our problems but he is one of them. Sorry but the jury has been in on xhaka for a long time now – he’s not good enough to be a no1 starter for a side with ambition. He wouldn’t get into the starting 11 of any of our rivals but he’d fit in great at some of the lower/mid table PL sides… That’s his level.

            2. It’s not proof of anything – that’s not a good record for red cards. He only throws away one game per season all on his own.

              1. @Davi
                But he saves us in ten games a season and won us a game with the award for the Goal of the Season.
                Swings and roundabouts mate. Does no other footballer ever make the occasional mistake?

                1. He saves us in 10 games a season? I’m not sure about that – I mean he’s part of the team, so he does contribute something, but you make it sound like he’s a match winner. This is the sort of thing Roy Keane says about Cantona haha.
                  I don’t think he does any more than most other midfielders in the league; as mentioned, I can’t see him being a regular in any of the sides around our above us.
                  His red card record is similar to vieira’s, but it really was worth it vieira. (We were also better able to cope with losing a man in those days, so a red card wasn’t a death sentence tbf.)

                  1. Patrick’s record?
                    8 red cards
                    76 yellow cards

                    Not comparing the players of course, Patrick leaves him standing in my opinion, but let’s get the record straight on the disciplinary front.

                    As for the question about other clubs…. Mikel sees it SO differently, as did previous managers, so why aren’t we backing his judgement!?

                    Interestingly, since he joined us in 2016, we have finished 5th 6th 5th 8th 8th 5th so the “continual decline” has only occurred during the two seasons before this last one.

                    2. Well, Patrick played a lot more games. A little less than double at this point in time, therefore their records are similar.
                      I’m not backing the managers’ judgements because we haven’t had much success since xhaka came along – obviously it’s not all because of him, but we’ve got a lot of things wrong (surely you wouldn’t disagree with that!), and I don’t think it’s a stretch to include xhaka in that list. I’m not going to assume they’re always right just because they’re in the job – otherwise everything would be perfect now! Xhaka wouldn’t get into the teams around us (squad player maybe for some but that’s it), I think that would be obvious to almost anyone. If or managers disagree, well they’d be in the minority among their peers (since of whom are far more successful), I’m very sure.
                      Interestingly, before he joined we were famed for finishing in the top 4 at the least, and before that, for winning the title or being the closest challengers. That’s the continual decline.
                      I’m not all doom and gloom, I feel like things are getting better, and maybe that decline has stopped, I just don’t think xhaka has been a success since he joined, and I think we’d be better off replacing him ASAP.

            4. YOU ARE AN OUTLIER ON XHAKA KEN. Its true I AND MOST OTHER Gooners , not you of course, find it a total mystery how three managers of ours constantly play him.
              But if your SERIOUSLY think this slow , oh so slow, dreadfully immobile and first into any trouble on thepitch, is remotely the answer to our needs , then I truly pity you and your desire to see our team make the huge improvement necessary.

              Do you or do you not agree that pace , mobility and a steady temperament is VITAL, right through the team?

              I know you will not answer that question and as usual will deflect things but once, just once, it would be great to read your honest answer to one key question.

              Of course I know you will duck that question, so wonder why I even bother asking it!

          2. That’s not a good record – it’s basically handicapping us for one game each season, which is as good as throwing that game away these days.

    5. Flamini in 07/08 was as good as any destructive midfielder I’ve seen. He kept out challenges from Gilberto and lassana diarra. Shame it was only for one season.
      Song was horrendously underrated imo – we still had the midfield under control in most games when he was here (and often he was playing with denilson at his worst). It’s only after he left that it really started to change in that area. Not as good a DM as Gilberto, of course, but a very good CM. He got scapegoated a bit imo, which was really unfair.

        1. Cheers Ken – also thought coquelin was pretty good – he’s done well in Spain! – but didn’t want to go on haha

  4. Surely, Arsenal are making progress but after Zinchenko Arsenal should try to bring Paquenta. Bringing Paquenta will make the team completely complete. Thanks to all Gunners.

  6. I think after Zinchenko, Arsenal need a plan B striker and a class DM.

    A Giroud type plan B, holdup, physical, and aerial threat.

    Onana would be an exciting addition, not the experienced DM many want, but he fits the youth movement and can be a top midfielder for years.

  7. Arsenal still have to sign tall striker who is good in the air and a strong defensive midfielder who will help Thomas Partey

  8. Pep played with false 9 for years but brought in 2 strong, tall and proper 9s together. A lesson to behold. A Dacoure will walk in into our DM effortlessly

  9. Looks like we are becoming pay cheque for Brazilians and city players. A team who struggles defensively goes out and buys a player who is not known for his defensive ability.

  10. @Raheem you call out Pep for playing false 9 for years and went to bring tall proper 9, you forgot to mention that he has won the league 3 out of 4 years with that while other clubs had proper 9. Modern football is about system and a profile that fits that system.

    For those calling for strong tall DM they still forget that high pressing teams that wants to play possession football requires more of technicians for press resistance and to staff their opponents of the ball and working effectively within a system.

    But i can see that most English fans are still deluded with their mindset of big strong tall players fit to play in this league, happy to see Pep proofing all of you wrong with small technical players like Foden, Sterling, Silva, Zinchencko and the likes.

    2. Sam Pedro, what a sensible post if I may say so.
      We have fans who continually moan that we signed Xhaka when Nkonte was available… yet he is the same height as Lucas Torreria, who is also deemed by the same supporters as being too small to play in the PL!!

        1. N’golo Kante??
          The comments on height are very true and it’s why I’m quite interested to see how zinchenko does, particularly in midfield. Man City have played with smaller players last season, often with gundogan as their most defensive midfielder, and it works because everyone,is constantly closing the space when they’re defending, including their forwards. I’m hopeful we could see something similar with the new signings.

  11. 30m is a snip for Zinchenko and every passing hour that this isn’t wrapped up makes me think someone is going to ride in and upset the apple cart.

    We’ve seen in the case of FDJ that an agreement has three parties and if the player isn’t on board it ain’t happening. Zinchenko wants assurances of a key role, if Arsenal doesn’t give it I’m sure someone else will.

    I’ll be chewing what is left of my nails until its announced in Arsenal’s website.

    1. The repeat of Xhaka red cards destroyed Arsenal hope for top 4. And Rob Holding red card against Tottenham was total disaster Arteta need to tighten level of discipline in the dressing room.

      Elneny or Tieleman as replacement for Xhaka.

  13. Now that the deal is done (reported on BBC Sport, £30m + £2m addons), it seems that he won’t be joining up with the Arsenal squad in the USA, not immediately anyway – but will return to the UK to “complete the deal”.

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors